21 Alive’s Dirk Rowley hosted the interview, and the program aired on 21’s station June 16, 2015. In the video, the NCCF staff gives a rundown of the basics of what a community foundation does and what the future holds for NCCF.

A Noble County student has been named recipient of four-year, full-tuition scholarship as the Noble County Community Foundation 2015 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars.

Caleb Larson of East Noble was selected to receive full tuition to the Indiana college of his choice and a $900 yearly stipend for required books and equipment. Caleb is the son of Dana and Aaron Larson of Kendallville.

At the time of his application, Caleb planned to study Computer Science at Wabash College or Purdue University. Caleb served as Student Council President, National Honor Society President, and is involved in Key Club, Life and Family Services, Noble Area Soccer Association, HOBY, BiPhyChem, Speech Team, East Noble Soccer Team and various other activities.

Upon the surprise announcement Caleb stated, “This is such a huge, huge honor and will open so many doors. I just want to say how thankful I am.”

To be eligible for the scholarship students must reside in Noble County and attend an accredited high school, and achieve a high school grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Students need to be well-rounded seniors through their community service, volunteerism and extracurricular activities and work experience as well as leadership roles.

This year’s applicants were initially scored for performance, community service and volunteerism, extracurricular activities and work experience, as well as leadership roles.

This year’s 63 Lilly applicants also provided recommendation letters from three references and submitted three essays, which were evaluated by a community foundation committee of six Noble County citizens, who interviewed the top 10 finalists.

Names of the top candidate and two alternatives were then submitted for final selection approval to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) for the selection of the recipients.

ICI is a nonprofit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state.

The scholarships are the result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education. Indiana ranks among the lowest states in the percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a bachelor’s degree. There were 142 scholarships awarded statewide.

Those not offered the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Noble County Community Foundation, Inc.

Congratulations to all the scholarship recipients on their outstanding achievements!

For more information on scholarships, check the community foundation’s website mid-November for the next scholarship application and details. Deadline to apply is usually middle of January or call the community foundation at 260-894-3335 or email jennifer@noblecountycf.org

NOBLE COUNTY “Giving for Tomorrow” (3/11/15) – Indiana counties are a little richer today. In July 2014, Lilly Endowment Inc. announced a statewide challenge grant to community foundations, totaling $66 million, with incentives that include a $1-for-$1 dollar match.

Those incentives have worked. Community foundations have already raised more than 50% toward the match.

“With this grant, and the different match opportunities, we are projecting more than $130 million will be raised for our communities. We still have a way to go but are thrilled with such a strong start,” says Rosemary Dorsa, vice president of the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, a membership association that supports Indiana’s community foundations.

The Endowment crafted the Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) grant opportunity to allow community foundations to have flexibility in how the charitable funds can be used in each community, and offer meaningful incentives that encourage community members to get involved.

The local community foundation, NOBLE COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION is eligible for $500,000 if it meets its match challenge by March 31, 2016. Through March 5, 2015 have raised $216,372 of additional endowed gifts.

“NOBLE COUNTY is excited to be a part of this opportunity,” says Linda Speakman-Yerick, Executive Director “Once we meet the challenge, we will have $1,150,000 to invest in our community.”

This GIFT initiative matching grant greatly enhances the local community and Indiana as a whole. In 1990, when the first GIFT grant was made, Indiana was home to only a dozen community foundations. Now, there are 94 community foundations and county affiliate funds in Indiana, serving each of Indiana’s 92 counties. Local leaders and community volunteers make decisions that positively address their own unique community needs.

“The grant is in line with a long-time vision of Indiana communities growing their capacity to make critical decisions for their own people now and in the future,” says Dorsa.

Funds are invested to grow over time, creating a greater impact year after year. This matching opportunity is the sixth phase of the Endowment’s GIFT initiative for Indiana community foundations. The GIFT initiative was designed to help local Indiana communities develop the philanthropic capacity to address their own needs and challenges. Since 1990, the value of Indiana’s community foundations that have regularly participated in GIFT grew from $30 million to almost $2 billion, and more than $915 million went back into the communities through local grants.

This new matching challenge continues that growth and could add about $132 million in new dollars, which would generate $6 million or more in additional grants every year…forever! But, donors are needed. “This generous match opportunity is exciting because anyone can get involved in a big way,” says Dorsa. “Many gifts to community endowments will be matched $1 for $1, which effectively doubles that donor’s gift.”

The $1-for-$1 match includes a focus on building community endowments that are unrestricted and have the greatest flexibility to respond to local needs from year to year, decade to decade. The Endowment’s match will be in amounts from $500,000 to $2 million, depending on the population of the county.

Each community foundation or affiliate fund has designed its own challenge within the parameters of the grant and should be contacted for local eligibility. Typically, gifts qualifying for matching funds must consist of contributions of cash or property which can include marketable securities, cash equivalents, and real property. Multi-year pledges are also able to be matched as long as each gift is received by the community foundation before March 31, 2016.
Noble County Community Foundation is a nonprofit public charity established in 1991 to serve donors, award grants, and provide leadership to improve Noble County forever. To obtain information, contact Linda Speakman-Yerick – 260-894-3335 or email at linda@noblecountycf.org and visit our web site at www.noblecountycf.org
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Jim Treesh was born on June 9th, 1940 at his grandparent’s farm in Lagrange County. He was raised in Kendallville, Indiana and later moved to Cree Lake. Jim was a very kind, funny, smart, and athletic young man. In his younger days Jim attended Lake James Bible Camp.
Bill Rollins, Jim’s cousin and good friend, remembers good memories with Jim. They both graduated from Kendallville High School in 1958 and played on the football team together.
In an interview, Bill said, “He was a hard worker and dedicated. He ran track and cross country and football and was very serious. He was just a nice individual. He didn’t have a temper, but got along with everyone. He was athletic and worked out. He would do whatever he could for you to help you out.”
Karen (Susie) Treesh-Knepper, Jim’s sister, shared some of her favorite memories of her brother. “I remember him playing soldier on our grandparent’s farm with a wooden gun and a pan on his head as a helmet when he was about 6 or 8. He was always taking a toy airplane or making a paper one and making humming noises as he would have it “fly’ about his head. He would draw pictures of tanks, airplanes, and soldiers, so I think he was destined to become a soldier in later years. Jim loved to run and he ran every day in Germany. They called him the American Snowman as he ran in a white jogging suit. He loved our grandmother’s cherry pie and she made him one every time she saw him until she got too old to bake anymore. (She lived to be 100 years old.).”
Jim attended Orlando Junior College for the first two years and then transferred to Indiana Central in Indianapolis where he graduated. He became a teacher in Nashville, Indiana until he enlisted in the Vietnamese War after President Kennedy was shot. He attended the Officers Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Georgia. Jim got stationed in Germany and Korea when he volunteered to go to Vietnam so that he could then be posted stateside and eventually get married and raise a family. He studied the Vietnamese language in Monterey, California and was an advisor.
Bill said, “I remember when we had our last get together. We were at my mother’s house. Jim got his papers and didn’t want to talk about it. He knew he was going to a dangerous place.”
Jim was killed in Vietnam on May 3rd, 1970 and was only 29 years old.
One of Jim’s favorite Bible verses was John 3:16— “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Bill decided to start a scholarship fund at the Noble County Community Foundation as a way to honor Jim and his parents, Paul and Louise. Bill said, “It seemed like a nice thing to do to honor Jim because of the fact that we lost him so young.”
Susie said, “Jim would have made a significant contribution to society had he lived. He was a wonderful son, brother, uncle, teacher, and fellow human being.”
This scholarship is one way that Jim’s legacy can live on. He sacrificed and contributed his life for the freedom of Americans. He was a true hero!

BUSINESS AND TRADES Scholarship in honor of “Brenton” and Roberta Elser: A $500 one-time payment for a Central Noble High School senior with a GPA of 2.0 or above pursuing an apprenticeship, certification programs thru Freedom Academy or other certified insitutations or schooling with preference given in this order HVAC, industrial maintenance, and carpentry, auto or marine mechanics, CNC or welding. Payment to be made after proof of enrollment or acceptance into program. Can be used for tuition and books.

The scholarship was created in honor of Brenton and Robert Elser of Albion by their family in celebration of their 57th wedding anniversary. Mr. Elser started out his career in the carpentry field working with his brother Chuck and later worked at Zollner Corporation in Fort Wayne as a machinist. Mr. Elser also did farm work for his parents. After he retired nearly 20 years ago from Zollner, he returned to working part time for PDS in Albion in the maintenance department. Mr. and Mrs. Elser did the majority of the restoration work on their home in Albion that was originally built in the late 1800’s. Mr. and Mrs. Elser put to work the life skills they developed through their various work experiences as adults to restore their home.

Mrs. Elser spent most of her working career in Material Purchasing as a book keeper/accountant and receptionist in a variety of settings. She worked at Lincoln Life in Fort Wayne, Dana, and a doctor’s office in Columbia City. She later worked at the Noble County Highway. She spent many years volunteering in the community with various organizations but most recently with the Wolf Lake Free Health Clinic now located in Columbia City. Mr. and Mrs. Elser are still very active with the United Methodist Church in Albion.

They have one daughter, Elaine Rehling (Mike) of Albion and two granddaughters, Michelle Tolle and Nicole Rehling.

This scholarship and others can be can be found on the community foundation’s website: www.noblecountycf.org (place your cursor on the Scholarship tab, then click on Scholarship Application to download the application).

Questions contact: Jennifer at the Noble County Community Foundation jennifer@noblecountycf.org or call 260-894-3335
Monday – Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Kris Campbell “Any Dream Will Do” Scholarship: A $500 one-time payment for a Prairie Heights high school senior who meets one or both of the following criteria: 1) has been active in his or her high school drama club for at least two years and is preparing to pursue any sort of post- secondary education, 2) has excelled in high school English and will pursue an English or teaching major in college. Payment to be made after proof of enrollment.

Kristy Ann Campbell was a native of Sandusky, Michigan. She was active in debate, theatre, Future Teachers of America and band, where she played the flute and bass drum, at Sandusky High School. She graduated 10th in her class in 1966 and enrolled at Central Michigan University where she majored in public speaking, theatre, and English. She was a member of the Kappa Phi Sorority and was named best pledge. She was active in theatre productions and was selected to the university Gold Symphonic Band. In 1970, she married Jerry Campbell. She graduated in 1970 with an B.A. degree in education and nine years later she earned her master’s degree from Saint Francis University in Fort Wayne.

She became a High School teacher at Prairie Heights High School in January of 1971 and took a year off in 1973 for the birth of her daughter, Nicol and completed a 30 year career there. At Prairie Heights, she was past secretary of the teacher’s association and served on numerous P.B.A. and North Central Committees. Kristy was also on the principal’s advisory committee and was chairman of the English department for three years. Mrs. Campbell cosponsored IFEA, Spell Bowl team and English Super Bowl team for many years. Kristy received the Dekko Foundation award for Teacher of the Year in 2003. Her proudest accomplishment was directing and expanding the school theatre program.
Applications can be found on the community foundation’s website: www.noblecountycf.org (place your cursor on the Scholarship tab, then click on Scholarship Application to download the application) or see your high school guidance office for a paper copy.

The Noble County Community Foundation scholarship application is now available on the community foundation’s website at www.noblecountycf.org (click on the ‘scholarship’ tab then click on ‘scholarship application’). The deadline for the scholarship application, transcripts and 3 recommendation forms is Wednesday, January 21, 2015 by 4:30 pm. Do not miss this opportunity to apply. More scholarships are being offered with larger award amounts this year than ever before!

There is only 1 application to complete for 60 different scholarships. Please read the scholarship criteria on the application to find out what scholarships you may qualify for. Each scholarship is unique. There are scholarships for high school seniors, Noble County residents and adult and college students. Be sure to read the Frequently Asked Questions page on the website also.

A few scholarships require financial aid information from the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The deadline to turn in this information to the community foundation is March 12, 2015.

Remember the deadline to turn in scholarship applications, transcripts and recommendation forms is Wednesday, January 21, 2015 by 4:30 pm. It is best to complete your application early and turn it in directly to the community foundation before the deadline date.

If you have any questions regarding the application you can email Jennifer at the community foundation at jennifer@noblecountycf.org or call 260-894-3335 Monday – Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Noble County Community Foundation Has A Grant Challenge from Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Hello Friends,

Noble County Community foundation recently received approval from Lilly Endowment Inc. to participate in the GIFT VI initiative!! Also known as Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow, the GIFT VI will match every dollar donated to the Community Impact Fund.

Receive a 100% return on your donation to our Community Impact Fund now!!! For every $1.00 you donate to the Community Impact Fund, the Foundation will match it with an additional $1.00. We have until March 31, 2016 to reach our goal of $275,000.

Dollars contributed to our Community Impact Fund (unrestricted) will be matched by the Lilly Endowment on a dollar for dollar basis. The Community Impact Fund are those that provide funding for grant awards to programs that support education, victims of abuse or violence, food and shelter for people in need, childcare, impact environment, trails and recreational projects, as well as arts and cultural experiences and so much more – right here in Noble County. These unrestricted dollars allow our board and grants committees to meet those ever-changing needs throughout the county for generations to come.

Stay tuned for more announcements yet to come!!

Visit us soon,

Linda Speakman-Yerick
linda@noblecountycf.org.
260-894-3335

]]>http://noblecountycf.org/match-opporunitygift-vi-community-impact-fund/feed/0PULSE Turkey Trothttp://noblecountycf.org/pulse-turkey-trot/
http://noblecountycf.org/pulse-turkey-trot/#commentsWed, 17 Sep 2014 18:54:36 +0000http://noblecountycf.org/?p=1842Click here for the registration form
]]>http://noblecountycf.org/pulse-turkey-trot/feed/0Write A Will Workshopshttp://noblecountycf.org/write-a-will-workshops/
http://noblecountycf.org/write-a-will-workshops/#commentsMon, 08 Sep 2014 18:44:14 +0000http://noblecountycf.org/?p=1821“Will Do!” That is a common reply from folks asked to take care of something-“Yep-Will do!” But when it comes to writing out a will or updating a decade old will, some folks never get the job done.

Your will is a unique document. During your life it lies “dormant.” You can change or evoke it and it has no effect on your financial, business or social situations. But at death, your will becomes tremendously important.

Certainly, your will can have a profound effect on the financial well-being of family members, friends, and institutions. In all events, it will be a permanent reflection of your personal life values and your love and concern for family, friends, and community.

We will be sponsoring a “Write a Will Workshop” in your community!! Please call us at 260-894-3335 to register today at no cost or email Jennifer@noblecountycf.org